Reflections for 2024

Dear Friends,

When our daughter Arianna was young, I used to plan a "New Year's Eve in Israel" party - essentially a countdown at 5 pm when the new year began in Israel. We'd sip sparkling apple cider and eat blue and white cupcakes and call it a celebration.  This year a "New Year's Eve in Israel" party would have felt, well, tone deaf and inappropriate.  New Year's Eve is never a big deal in Israel but, from all accounts that I heard, it was basically ignored this year. And for good reason. Except for highly personal milestones - a birth, wedding, b'nai mitzvah -  there was little to celebrate.

In Israel, New Year's Eve is called "Sylvester" after the feast day of St. Sylvester,one reason that, even during good, it isn't particularly popular with most Jewish Israelis.  St. Sylvester was pope in the early Middle Ages and notably antisemitic. Israelis, who do mark the occasion, use it basically as a reason to throw a party.  A survey back in 2018 showed that only 2% of Israelis ascribed any deeper meaning to New Year's Eve.

This year, my family had a very quiet and impromtu celebration on December 31.  And my strongest wish? That we will have reason to celebrate when we begin 2025. 

With hope of peace,

Rabbi Debbie Cohen